title: Promiscuity, sexual selection, and genetic diversity: a reply to Spurgin.
abstract: We recently reported a positive association between female promiscuity and genetic diversity across passerine birds, and launched the hypothesis that female promiscuity acts as a balancing selection, pressure maintaining genetic diversity in populations (Gohli et al.2013). Spurgin (2013) questions both our analyses and interpretations. While we agree that the hypothesis needs more comprehensive empirical testing, we find his specific points of criticism unjustified. In a more general perspective, we call for a more explicit recognition of female mating preferences as mechanisms of selection in population genetics theory.
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0318, Oslo, Norway. j.t.lifjeld@nhm.uio.no.
authors.forename: Jan T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lifjeld
authors.forename: Jostein
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gohli
authors.forename: Arild
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johnsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D046370:Sparrows / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Balancing selection; MHC; comparative analysis; compatible genes; extrapair paternity; pathogen-mediated selection